The Solution
by TV Manic 2
Summary: Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...Will be Johnny-centric!
1. Life

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person... Will be Johnny-centric as usual!

**Disclaimer: **

I own nothing. Never have.

**Author's Notes:**

I'm back again with the sequel of the sequel of the sequel of the original! There'll be suspense, romance, and more Johnny-angst than should be legal! I hope you enjoy, let me know what you think :P

And thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, favourited and/or read any of my previous fics, you're all awesome :D

We continue from where we left off...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One -:- Life<strong>

It was the weirdest sensation she had ever felt. Even weirder than being trapped in a freezer and turned into a mutant. And that's saying something. There was no pain, no panic, nothing. Just a strange sense of detachment. Everything was miles away, her vision wouldn't focus and her hearing felt like she was underwater. She couldn't even remember what had happened.

"Kayla?"

_I know that voice. _She blinked and tried to locate it. To her right a familiar face came into view. It was a guy, his face all chiselled features and blue eyes. He looked concerned. Close to panic really. She struggled to put a name to the face, but when she did, things finally started making sense. "Johnny?"

A smile. She loved that smile. It made you believe everything was all right. And even if it wasn't, you knew it would be. She realised she was sitting on the floor with Johnny crouched next to her. She was in the club that was now suddenly deserted, the shouts of people and the whir of sirens barely audible from outside. Then she felt the pain. She glanced down at her arm, surprised to see a layer of rose-coloured ice. She'd been shot.

"Kayla?" Johnny asked again, he had relaxed significantly, but the concern was still evident in his voice. "Are you with me?"

How long had she been like this? Just sitting in shock like some pathetic damsel? She felt embarrassed. And worse than that, she felt weak. From a glance she had seen that it was just a nick, and her ability had even patched it up for her. After everything she had seen Johnny and the rest of the Fantastic Four go through, here she was, floored by a tiny cut? She was angry with herself.

She tried to climb back onto her feet, her irritation doubled when she realised her legs were like jelly. Johnny went to help her, supporting her by the arm, but she pushed him away with a muttered "I'm fine." She couldn't even look him in the eyes anymore.

"There's probably an ambulance outside, we'll get you checked out at the hospital..." Johnny began.

"No," Kayla snapped. Johnny looked offended for a moment, then masked it behind a half-smile. She took a breath, knowing he was only trying to help. "It's nothing I can't stitch up. Let's just get back to the Baxter Building." She glanced around, not wanting to go out the front and find the flashing cameras. "There's a back-way...right?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, it's this way."

* * *

><p><strong>CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division<strong>

Dr. Claus stormed back into the lab, her white coat a flurry behind her as she marched. She threw herself behind her desk and started angrily arranging stationary. It was a quirk of hers, the need to organise, whenever she was angry or upset she had a tendency to empty her pen pot and sort it into size order. Usually it was calming and allowed her to collect her thoughts. Today it wasn't working.

"Did he hang up on you again?" Dr. Farrell, her partner asked. She didn't really consider him her partner, to her he was barely a lab assistant, only present to complete tasks that were below her sizable IQ. He hadn't moved as he spoke, his eye glued to a microscope as if even taking his eye away for a second would lead to him missing something huge.

Claus huffed. "He claimed it was bad connection, again. I didn't think anyone even used the sweet wrapper trick anymore." The line had been fine when she'd been talking to the secretary, but the second she had mentioned the ice-crystal to him, the line had mysteriously broken up.

It had been two weeks now since she had first found the ice with the strange chemical structure. They were in charge of maintaining the criminal Dr. Doom's cryo-containment after he had had his most recent run-in with the Fantastic Four. If she were honest, it was Farrell who had taken the sample and found the ice, but he had had no idea what he was looking at. But she knew. A Fourth state of water. Ice that maintained its own temperature. She had already realised the possibilities. She knew that this ice could be the solution to global warming, replacing the polar ice-caps with non-melting ice. All she needed to know was the source.

And Reed Richards was holding out on her.

How many times had she tried to call him now? At least twelve times a day (up to nineteen, depending on her mood) over a period of two weeks, not including Sundays, which meant it was approximately: 144-228 times. Obviously this method wasn't working.

"I'm going to pay Dr. Richards a visit." She declared as she collected a sample box from next to her desk and slammed it loudly on the table, sending her neatly organised stationary into disarray. She then removed one of the many samples they had taken, the largest, from its place and positioned it inside the box. With another slam she shut the lid and clicked the catches closed.

Farrell, eye still on the microscope, waited for her to finish, listening to the unnecessary noise. Once complete, he heard her take a deep breath as if she were collecting herself before she left. It was then that he chose to remind her of the time. "It's 11.49 at night. He might be awake for your call, but he won't appreciate a visit."

"Fine. I will pay him a visit in the morning."

* * *

><p><strong>The Baxter Building<strong>

"_Rustle, crackle..._I'm sorry Dr..._rustle..._the connection..._crackle_...bad..._fizzle..._bye!"

Reed disconnected the phone and placed it back in its cradle. He returned the piece of foil he had been using to make the sound effects to its now usual place next to the phone, then leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. He had grown to be able to handle the constant, pestering calls of the press, but this Dr. Claus was even more persistent and annoying. He was beginning to regret sending Doom's ice sculpture to the cryo-lab in the first place.

Despite her irritation, however, Dr. Claus raised a point Reed hadn't really considered before. It wasn't until she had begun to hound him that he realised that he knew very little about their resident medic, and her icy capabilities. Dr. Kayla Maiden had been living with them for two years now and the first time he had witnessed her ability had been two months ago when she'd frozen Doom. He hadn't even realised she was that powerful, she was so intent on hiding the ability. Maybe now would be a good time to investigate further.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his wife. Sue carried their baby Leona in her arms as she settled into the seat next to him. She never let the child out of her sight anymore, not since she had been taken from them and had come so very close to never being returned. Sue was a stay-at-home mom now. No matter the crisis, her child was the most important thing. They were still the Fantastic Four though, even if only by name and not number.

"Who was that?" Sue nodded at the phone.

"The scientist from the cryo-lab," Reed began

"Doom didn't escape did he?" Sue interrupted a hint of both fear and anger in her voice. Reed noted that she held Leona a little closer as she said it, as if Doom would show up at any moment and take her again.

"No, no, nothing like that," Reed soothed. He placed a hand on Sue's in a reassuring gesture. "The scientist is Dr. Claus, she's _very _interested to know how Doom got himself turned into a sculpture, something about the ice not being ice...anyway, it doesn't matter."

"Is she going to be a problem?"

"Only for my sanity," Reed replied. "I've lost count on how many times she's called. I would get Roberta to screen her number, but then if there's an emergency..."

"She won't get through and Doom would escape."

"Exactly. So I guess she's just going to drive me slowly insane instead."

* * *

><p>The silence in the elevator filled the small space to the point of almost making Johnny claustrophobic. Ever since they had left the club, they hadn't said a word. The car journey had been in silence. The walk across the garage had been in silence. And now in the lift. Johnny felt like he was being punished. He wasn't 100% sure what he had done wrong; if he was honest, across his lifetime there was too much to choose from, but this felt unfair.<p>

He glanced to his left to see Kayla staring straight ahead as if even eye contact was no longer allowed. Instead he decided to look up and watch the light pass across the numbers, the lift not able to move fast enough.

Eventually they arrived at the Fantastic Four's headquarters. The pair hesitated for a moment as if unsure how to proceed. Johnny spoke first, "Do you need me to give you a hand?" he gestured at the wound, but Kayla shook her head.

"I'll be fine," she paused. In essence, this was the end of their first date. In an ideal world, this is the moment where she would be hoping that Johnny offered her a kiss and they parted on good terms. But that dream had been shattered by an idiot with a gun. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Right," Johnny agreed. He stood frozen for a moment, watching Kayla walk away. This was not how he had pictured the night ending. Nothing seemed to go right anymore. Even the things he managed to fix; his relationship with Sue and their father, for instance, it could all be undermined by a single moment. It made him wonder why he bothered at all.

After a few minutes, he realised he hadn't moved. Kayla was long gone and the Baxter Building was in darkness. He wasn't tired and didn't fancy lying in bed with only in thoughts for company, so he headed towards the lounge. He was surprised to find it occupied when he got there.

Ben Grimm was stretched out on the sofa, an oversized remote in his hand. He looked up at Johnny's arrival, and then gestured for him to come and join him. They sat in silence for a while, the television being the only sound. "So...how'd your 'not-date' go?"

It took a moment for Johnny to answer. "Well...it started off pretty good. Even managed to get her to dance," Ben nodded, but was waiting for the 'but'. Johnny didn't disappoint. "But then the place got robbed by some gang. Then Kayla got shot."

Ben sat up suddenly in surprise, trying to read Johnny to gage the situation. "Shot?"

"She's okay, just the arm. Well, she says she's okay," Johnny tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. "She's in her white box fixing it now." Another moment passed as Ben wondered what to say. Then Johnny muttered, barely audible above the TV "Don't you hate Life sometimes? It won't even let me have _one_ night."

Ben watched Johnny, concern etched on his rocky face. But he still couldn't think of anything to say.

* * *

><p><strong>Hokay, that was the first chap, hope you enjoyed.<strong>

**Now for me to enlighten you with my paranoia. Ever since I created Kayla all the way back in Retribution, I have been terrified of her becoming a Mary-Sue. While writing this, I realised just how Kayla-centric it is, and it's a little worrying. I would greatly appreciate input as to whether or not the extra Kayla is good, and if it's not I may need to re-jig the plot...significantly. **

**Thanks for reading...both the chap **_**and **_**my rant :P See you for the next chap!**


	2. Earlybird

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...

**Disclaimer: **

I own my imagination. What I do with it is my business :P

**Author's Notes:**

I am slightly more confident with my OC now (thanks ebuchala!) All I have to do is look out for reviews that scream "Kill her!" and "It's the Monster from the Mary Sue Lagoon!" and then I know exactly where this story is gonna go *evil cackle*

Anyway, thanks very much to ebuchala and Sparkiebunny for reviewing!

Enjoy the next chappie!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two -:- Earlybird<strong>

**The Baxter Building**

Reed stared at the formula in front of him as if it would magically solve itself. He re-read his untidy scrawls dotted all over his papers, trying to figure out what he was missing, and failing. With a heavy sigh he picked up the vial of red liquid, frustrated that he couldn't complete it.

A year ago, when Johnny had been kidnapped by Doom and taken to Latveria, he had been given a dose of this very same liquid. It was a power suppressor made from the same cosmic radiation that had made them in the first place. Doom had left behind this vial before taking off from boredom at the lack of fight Reed and Ben had put up. Ever since, Reed had been studying it, aiming to turn it into a permanent cure. Reed knew that the Fantastic Four were beginning to tire from the hero lifestyle that none of them had asked for. This was going to be their retirement present, an apology for mutating them in the first place.

But it was late now, or early, depending on which way you looked at it. Sue had imposed a 2am curfew on him to stop him from working all night, and it was now 2.30am. She was gonna be pissed when he eventually showed up. Reed put down the vial and rubbed his tired face, mentally preparing himself for the barrage of abuse he was about to receive.

He stood and left, switching off the lights with a stretched arm before locking the lab door behind him. He wandered through the dark halls of the Baxter Building, moonlight streaming through the windows. There was always an eerie silence at this time of the morning, as if even sound had chosen to go to bed. That was probably the only reason that he heard the muffled sobs coming from the medical room.

Reed hesitated outside the door, knowing he was probably the worst person to offer comfort, then eventually manned-up and knocked. He heard a kerfuffle come from within as he assumed Kayla was tidying herself up, before the door opened a crack and she looked out with puffy eyes. "Reed?"

"Err...hi..." Reed replied awkwardly. "I heard you, and thought you might...need someone to talk to?" he finished lamely, the question coming out by accident. Kayla blinked, but didn't reply. "Never mind...I'll just err...I'll go."

"Wait, no," Kayla opened the door all the way. "I actually need to talk to you. If you've got a moment."

Reed nodded then stepped into the medical room, taken aback by the sheer whiteness of everything. He had never actually been in there since Kayla had taken it over and claimed it as her own. He perched himself on the edge of the examination table, not sure what to do with himself. Kayla sat herself at her desk and swivelled the chair round to face him. "Love what you've done with the place."

"I want you to run some tests on me."

Reed froze for a moment, surprised by the suddenness of the request. Recently his interest in her ability had increased to the point where he was wondering if she would be open to tests, but he had never expected her to be the one to request them. When he didn't immediately reply, Kayla explained hurriedly, embarrassment evident on her face.

"I know you're busy, what with saving the world and all, but I need to know what this is. I never really focused on it before; I tried to pretend it didn't exist. As long as I could keep it controlled and hidden, I didn't want to know what it was. But recently, there are moments where I wonder if I'm in control at all. Doom, for instance, I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted to help Johnny and all of a sudden it kicked in...and tonight..."

All of a sudden she took off her jacket, surprising Reed even more, his male brain working faster than his intelligence. He then realised she was showing him her arm, or more specifically, the rose-coloured ice that had formed on it. "How did that happened?"

"Johnny took me out earlier to some club in town. And, typically, the place got robbed. One of the guys had a gun and well, I got shot," she explained, making Reed raise his eyebrows in astonishment.

"Then this happened?" he asked, leaning down to take a closer look. Kayla nodded. "Amazing, a spontaneous reaction, immediately sealing the wound..."

"But that's not everything," she interrupted, "Now I can't make it go away. I've been trying and trying, but it won't go. I even tried melting it off, but nothing happened!" She gestured at her desk at a small blow torch, making Reed wonder where she got it from. As she continued, he could hear the fear in her voice. "I'm not in control at all. I've had this ability for two years and I have no idea what it even is. I'm scared of it."

Reed nodded, remembering the fear he had encountered when he first discovered his ability. He glanced at the clock on her desk, 2.50am. He smiled reassuringly. "I'm already in the doghouse with Sue, so I can't do anything now, but in the morning come to my lab and we'll run some tests."

Kayla nodded, smiling slightly though her eyes were still full of unshed tears. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>There was no way he ever going to sleep, but when Ben had declared he was going to bed, Johnny had begrudgingly agreed that he should too. He had trudged off to his own room and thrown himself onto his bed, finally alone with his own thoughts. It wasn't a safe place to be.<p>

As he stared at the ceiling his mind wandered over the events of the last few years. He remembered the accident on the space-station that had led to their current lifestyle. He had been the only one that was certain their powers were a good thing, but he had had no idea what being a hero would lead to. When the Silver Surfer had zapped him and he started switching powers he was beaten down by his own screw-up nature. And then when Sue had been killed, and he couldn't even touch her...

Once the day had been saved he had pretended that he was fine, but sometimes he had nightmares about it, the moment his sister, his life, had died, and he couldn't do anything. Ever since they had gained their powers it had been struggle after struggle and everyday was a new fight. It was exhausting. Then there were the enemies. Doom.

Johnny had lain awake many a night, fearing that the next day would be the day that the metal man came and took his revenge. He had never felt this helpless or afraid when he had been normal. The sheer volume of emotional, and physical, turmoil that he had been put through was pushing him beyond endurance. He was tired. On the few occasions that he managed to sleep, he often wished that he didn't wake up.

His thoughts had taken him down a very depressing road, and he tried to think of something good to dig him out of the despair. He thought of Kayla, and how happy he was when it was just the two of them. Then he remembered the night before and immediately felt miserable again.

"Oh for God's sake," he hissed at himself. He was even annoying himself at this point. Surely he hadn't been this bad a pessimist before? Didn't he used to be the cocky, cheerful daredevil that didn't have a care in the world? He closed his eyes, trying to remember what that had felt like. When he couldn't, he sighed heavily. "I want to be normal."

He glanced at the clock by his bed. 5.30am. Everyone else would still be asleep. He considered staying where he was, but the thought of reliving painful memories for a few more hours dissuaded him. He sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. "Screw this."

Half an hour later he was showered and dressed and sat at the dining table with a bowl of fruit loops. It had been too quiet, and his thoughts had begun to drag him down again, so he had decided to drown them out with his iPod. The music was loud enough to be heard by anyone in the vicinity despite the earphones. This was all part of his routine now. Once he had finished his cereal he went for his usual walk.

Dawn was really the only time he could walk around the streets of New York without being recognised or photographed. There seemed to be this agreement between the earlybirds of the city that it was simply too early to be fussing over anything. Everything was quiet and peaceful, just waiting for it all to be shattered by the morning rush hour. By the time he returned the first of many horn-blasts to come sounded from the filling streets.

He pushed through the doors, oblivious to the world around him, the music still pumping in his ears. He was beginning to feel better, convinced that the last of the dark feelings he had could be hidden behind a grin. As usual he returned just in time to catch the postman. He pulled the earphones out as he approached. "Hey Stan."

"Mr. Storm!" Stan greeted just as brightly as always. He was an elderly man, well past retirement age, with white hair and square glasses. He pulled out a wad of letters. "Your timing is as impeccable as always. I had just finished with the fan-mail sack. Here's the important stuff."

"Thanks Stan," Johnny took the letters and started flicking through the stack as Stan started wittering on about his grandkids; something about technology and how in his day he'd been happy with a wooden yo-yo. Johnny nodded at appropriate moments, half listening as he worked through the post. He had a couple of letters, but he skimmed over them. He paused at a letter for Kayla, placing it at the top. It was a normal enough letter, except for the postmark: _Stoneybrook Psychiatric Institute_. "Huh."

"Anyway, I should be going," Stan came to a finish. "These letter's ain't gonna deliver themselves now, are they?"

Johnny took the question as rhetorical and waved as Stan left the building. His eyes strayed back to the letter in his hand, his curiosity caught on the postmark. It was moments like these when he was reminded of how little he knew about Kayla. Maybe this was his chance to learn something.

"I am here to see Dr. Richards!"

Johnny looked up in surprise at the woman who had squawked so loudly. The woman was bird-like in appearance as well as voice, her frame small and fragile, her dark hair a ruffled mess and her nose hooked slightly, like a beak. Her eyes were magnified by large round glasses. Johnny couldn't peg her age as she looked both old and young at the same time. She wore a lab coat and carried a black cooler box; her knuckles white from the tightness of her grip. Jimmy the doorman looked scared as he tried to explain that she couldn't go in. Johnny decided to help him out.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you Dr. Richards?"

"Er...no..." Johnny replied, pretty sure that that answer was obvious.

"Then no. You can't help. I need to see Dr. Richards!" her voice raised again, making Johnny doubt her mental stability. She forgot about him in an instant, turning back on Jimmy, tapping the side of the black cooler. "I have to discuss a very urgent matter with him, this instant!"

Jimmy looked to Johnny for help. It was his decision. He studied the woman again, trying to verify her story. She looked sciencey enough, with the lab coat, glasses and cooler. Surely an imposter would have gone for a less obvious disguise? "Erm...Reed will probably be in his lab...?"

* * *

><p>Dr. Claus took that as an invitation and immediately stormed over to the elevator, jabbing the button slightly harder than was necessary. She wasn't aware of the utter bewilderment she had left the two men in, her mind entirely focused on the task ahead. She was going to force Reed Richards to reveal the secret behind the ice-crystal, and if he refused...well, she'd be spending a lot more time in the Baxter Building.<p>

Eventually the elevator door opened and she stepped in, selecting the button that helpfully had the Fantastic Four logo embellished, despite not being the 4th floor. She watched impatiently as the numbers rose at a ridiculously slow pace. She couldn't stop fidgeting from the nervous energy that was building inside of her. She was about to know. She was going to find out. Finally.

She marched across the reception area before the holographic receptionist had a chance to form. Roberta glanced around the room, looking for whatever had alerted her motion sensor. When she saw no one, she flickered out of existence. Claus was already heading in the direction she hoped the lab was in. It was pure chance that led her straight to the door.

She barged in without knocking, then froze.

Sitting at a desk were two people. The one on the right she recognised as Reed Richards. The one on the left was a woman with jet black hair and pale skin, her eyes wide with shock. In her hands she held a mug entirely encased in ice.

"Oh."

* * *

><p><strong>And that's chapter two! Hope you enjoyed.<strong>

**And I am forewarning you now, I have no idea how this story is gonna end, but if my muse gets her way, it's not gonna be happy. We'll see how it goes!**

**See you next Chapter!**


	3. Exposed

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...

**Disclaimer: **

I own nothing. I am penniless indebt ex-student. I write for the sake of preserving my sanity :P

**Author's Notes:**

Ridiculously late update, sorry. My muse ran away after we had an argument lol

Thanks again to ebuchala, Sparkiebunny, super ario and memvvd for reviewing, and for those who alerted, thanks for coming back!

Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three -:- Exposed<strong>

**The Baxter Building**

_Oh Crap._ The inarticulate phrase was all Reed could think of when he saw Dr. Claus storm into the lab. All three froze in complete silence as they tried to sort out what had just happened and what to do next. Reed glanced at the frozen mug in Kayla's hand, his brilliant mind kicking in and establishing a cover story, although he knew lying wasn't his strong point. He took the mug with a smile "Fascinating, isn't it? I've been working on it for months."

Kayla took a moment to reply, not catching on. "Oh, yeah. So that's what you used on Doom?"

Dr. Claus watched the exchange, processing what she had seen and comparing it with the poorly constructed story. She was beyond surprised that the source of the ice-crystal was a human, although now she realised she should have known. This was the Fantastic Four after all.

"Yes it is," Reed replied, and then looked at Claus as if only just seeing her. It was a poor act, but he had to do something to at least try and protect Kayla. "Dr. Claus, isn't it? This is the head scientist at CryoIndustries where Doom is currently being stored. How's that for coincidence?"

Kayla gave a nervous laugh in reply, while Claus just stared, her disbelief evident. But then it was gone, instead replaced with an apologetic smile as if she had honestly just walked in on Reed demonstrating an invention. "So sorry to barge in like that, I have been warned that my impatience will get me into trouble. It is quite fascinating, I've been studying it for a while at my lab." She glanced at Kayla, pretending to only just see her. "And you must be...?"

"Err...ummm..." Kayla was painfully aware of how low her IQ was in comparison to the other scientists. She was stuck between lying, convincingly, and hoping that Reed backed her up; or just telling the truth and praying that Claus honestly bought the cover story. She'd hesitated too long anyway, so whatever she said was going to sound like a lie "Err-I'm Dr. Kayla Maiden."

"Oh really?" Claus replied, her interest clear in her magnified eyes. "In what field do you specialise? Genetics? Biology? Quantum Physics?"

"Just medicine," Kayla had never felt stupid before in her life, but in that moment she had never felt so small. She just wanted to get out of there. "I-I should go...leave you two to discuss the sciencey stuff..."

Reed watched Kayla leave, half-glad that she had escaped, half-jealous that he was still stuck. He pasted on his meet-the-fans smile, determined to end the meeting as quickly as possible. "So, Dr. Claus, how can I help you?"

"Please, call me Santa," Claus insisted, half-smiling at Reed's facial expression. "I'm of Italian descent, and my mother didn't realise the Christmas correlation. It's hell in December."

"I can imagine," Reed replied, trying to figure out whether the name was a joke or not. He decided not to push it "Then you can call me Reed."

She smiled, but whether or not it reached her eyes was hidden behind the magnified lenses. "I would like to discuss with you your invention if I may. I found the ice to be quite intriguing when I studied it. How did you achieve it?"

Once again, Reed was put on the spot. He knew he was a terrible liar at the best of times, but under pressure he was just awful. He couldn't tell if Claus had actually bought his earlier lie, or whether she was now just playing him to hide her own agenda. The woman was so hard to read. "Ah, I would love to share knowledge with you Dr. Claus...I mean...Santa...however I'm afraid the patent hasn't come back yet and I am rather protective of my secrets."

"Of course, I understand," Claus nodded as she stood from her seat. Reed didn't even remember her sitting down. She picked up the black cooler she had been carrying when she came in. "Please, do let me know when your patent comes through; I would love to discuss this further."

"Certainly," Reed said with the most confidence he had felt since the woman had entered. He stood and joined her, always the gentleman "Allow me to escort you out."

* * *

><p>Johnny dug into his second bowl of fruit loops that morning. He wasn't hungry; he only did it to keep up the pretence of normality. No one else knew that he usually ate his breakfast before dawn and he knew that Sue would notice and start worrying if he dared to 'skip' a meal. His eyes strayed to the post, the pile now scattered across the table. His curiosity had been caught by the postmark <em>Stoneybrook Psychiatric Institute.<em>

He so badly wanted to ask Kayla what it was about, but knew that this was one of those delicate situations that he had a knack for being insensitive about. He was going to have to be very careful about this.

The door to the kitchen suddenly slammed open, making Johnny swivel in his seat to see who was so pissed. _Think of the devil and she will appear_ he thought to himself as he saw Kayla. She looked annoyed and panicked as she closed the door behind her, oblivious to his presence. "Are you alright?"

She looked up with a deer-in-the-headlights expression, almost horrified to have been caught in such a state. She took a moment to answer. "Er, yeah, I'm fine."

Johnny waited for her to elaborate. When she didn't, he was suddenly aware of just how awkward the gulf between them had become. How could one night total a relationship this badly? Surely he had had worse dates than that. He realised someone had to say something "Erm...that's good...I guess...?"

Kayla said nothing, trying to think of a way to leave without being rude. Once again, she just wanted to run away from the situation. She knew Johnny was looking at her, trying to read her that way he always did, waiting for her to break and reveal her true feelings. That was never going to happen.

The silence was stretching uncomfortably between them. Johnny didn't even know how long it had been since he had spoken, but it felt like eternity. Once upon a time, he had been a master of situations like this. He could lighten the mood of any situation with a cocky grin and a self-absorbed joke. How could so much have changed? He glanced again the letters strewn across the table, thankful for the idea of a subject change. "You have post, by the way." He picked up the letter. "Something from Stoneybrook..."

He had never seen someone react so fast to a name before. He hadn't even thought of the end of his sentence before Kayla had practically flown across the room and snatched the letter from his hand. There was an expression on her face that he had never seen before; anger.

"Did you read it?" she demanded, the accusation slapping Johnny across the face.

"What? No! I'd never...I just saw the postma-"

"Why were you looking? Ever heard of privacy?" She interrupted. She knew her response was unwarranted, but she had just been so wound up and this was the release. She felt as if all her secrets, all the truths she'd buried were suddenly being dug up and paraded around for all to see. That wasn't true, she had far more safely hidden away, but she felt exposed regardless.

"Kayla..." Johnny realised a little too late that he had trampled on a sensitive subject. He couldn't think of anything to say.

She tried to calm down, but the emotions wouldn't go away. Only now there was just a big spoonful of guilt to make her feel better. Not wanting to make the situation worse, she opted for a tactical retreat, avoiding Johnny's eyes as she practically ran from the kitchen.

* * *

><p><em>STONEYBROOK PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE<br>__**Helping the lost to help themselves**_

_Dr. Kayla Maiden  
><em>_The Penthouse  
><em>_The Baxter Building  
><em>_New York_

_24/05/2011_

_**Patient Ref: 5010251SUTTON  
><strong>__**Dictated by Patient/Recorded by Dr. Travis Dekker**_

_Dear Kayla,_

_It's been a while, hasn't it? Nearly ten years. I hear you're a doctor now. I'm so proud, although I doubt that means very much. You always were so smart, your brother too, far smarter than I or your father. And you always cared and looked after anyone who needed help. It's like you were made to be a doctor. Maybe you saving lives can make up for the ones I ruined. But that is too much to ask._

_I can never be forgiven for what I have done, and I would never ask you to. Half the time I'm in here I don't even know who I am, but this is one of those rare moments of clarity where all I feel is guilt and the need to explain...and apologise. _

_I spent those awful years in a state of detachment. I couldn't see what was happening because I didn't want to. I didn't stop him because I was afraid to. I know these excuses are even more pathetic than the self defence plea he tried to bargain for, but now I realise that everything was my fault. I will live with this guilt until it kills me, but I never want you to feel responsible. _

_I only hope you can put this to rest and move on. My only wish is for you to be happy._

_Love always,  
><em>_Anna Sutton_

_**End Dictation. **_

* * *

><p><strong>CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division<strong>

"Truly amazing."

"Sorry, what was that?" Farrell glanced up from whatever he was working on. Filling the doorway with her tiny frame was Claus, her body cast in shadow while her glasses reflected the light. It was rather creepy, in Farrell's opinion, but she tended to do it a lot, leading the sight to lose its effect. She stepped into the lab, now bathed in the yellow glow of an overhead lamp.

"It's a human, if you can call her that," Claus continued as if she hadn't heard him, her soliloquy for her ears only. "Just a human with that amazing gift. A simple touch, and its permanently frozen. Surely not possible? And yet, I witness it with my own two eyes. I must have it."

Farrell sighed heavily. "What are you plotting?"

"Just a little research..." Claus paused, ideas, plans and theories slowly sliding into place. "Farrell, would you mind making some enquiries into a Dr. Kayla Maiden please?"

"Why?"

"Because I told you to."

* * *

><p><strong>A slightly shorter chapter, but things get moving next chap, which I am about to start writing to avoid another late update...sorry again!<strong>

**Let me know what you think :D**


	4. Stoneybrook

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...

**Disclaimer: **

I own nothing. Not a thing. The bank pretty much owns me though

**Author's Notes:**

Omigod! Two updates in one day? AND I'm starting the next chapter after lunch? Surely this is impossible!

Super thanks to Sparkiebunny for the fastest review ever!

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four -:- Stoneybrook<strong>

**CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division**

Outside the lab that Claus spent the majority of her time cooped up in, there was a whole structure of metal and glass. CryoIndustries was basically a large rectangle with the middle scooped out, made up of square rooms stacked on top of each other. The central courtyard was one of those mandatory 'relaxation areas' designed to make the place less like a prison and more like an office. It was paved, with two koi ponds and exotic plants with benches dotted around. It was surrounded on all sides by at least three storeys of building lined with balconies and walkways. It had always seemed so out of place to Claus.

She stood on the balcony overlooking the odd courtyard, taking one of her rare breaks. Or at least, that's how it would've appeared to the guards and anyone watching the security cameras. In reality, she was observing. She was watching the guards that patrolled the courtyard below, the only point greatly exposed to aerial attack, noting their pattern, number and weapons. She needed to know what resources she had to her disposal.

She may only have been a scientist, but she also happened to be the most senior scientist present, as well as the person in charge of maintaining Doom's cryogenics. As such she carried at least a little bit of weight over the security personnel. If she were to alert them to a security threat, they would respond, defending this place from whomever she so decided. For example, the Fantastic Four. They were even armed for such a threat. Reed Richards had been so generous as to supply the security with the power-suppressor, just in case Doom was to escape.

Satisfied with her defence plan, she turned on her heel and disappeared back into the cool interior of the building. She navigated her way through the rabbit warren with well practiced ease until she was back at her lab. It was located directly above the cell room which housed Dr. Doom. She entered silently and came to a stop behind Farrell, who was tapping away on a computer furiously. "Well?"

He jumped at her voice, turning quickly in his seat to see her, scared of her eyes magnified by the glass. His demeanour had changed since that morning. Then he had been her tired and long-suffering lab partner. Now he was her underling, worried about her orders, but too scared of her to question them. He didn't seem able to speak.

"Have you found anything?" she demanded again. She had only ever been known for her severe lack of patience. Farrell was still struggling to make sounds. "Well?"

"Der, err...yes," Farrell garbled, finally forming a complete word. A stammer he thought he had long ago conquered had come back with a vengeance. All because his creepy lab partner had suddenly gone psycho. "M-Maiden isn't her r-real n-name, sh-she changed it from S-Sutton ten y-y-years ago..."

"This is going to take forever, put it on the plasma and I'll read it myself!" she snapped and Farrell hastily did as he was told. He had done some pretty illegal hacking to get this information, all in the interest of self-preservation. He had never been more afraid of a person in his life. A Word Doc of copied-and-pasted paragraphs flicked onto the large plasma screen and Claus began skim-reading. "Interesting..."

* * *

><p><strong>The Baxter Building<strong>

Kayla had the rather unnerving sensation of being probed by some unseen force. She assumed it was an after-effect of her run-in with Dr. Claus and then Johnny earlier. Already that day she had come very close to exposing her ability to some stranger, and then Johnny had come dangerously close to learning about the past she was always running away from. The letter still lay on her desk, some of the ink smudged from her tears.

She vaguely remembered telling Johnny a little of her past back at the club. Her first time drinking since college and she was blabbing like it was no big deal. Ten years, and it still felt as if it had just happened. She was back in her old house watching in horror as...

A knock sounded at the door of her white sanctuary. She blinked herself out of the memory and called for whoever it was to come in. She didn't know if she was annoyed or relieved to Johnny standing there, looking a little sheepish. He closed the door behind him and took his usual seat on the examination table as if nothing had happened between them. As if nothing had changed.

"Do you want to talk?" he asked, breaking the silence. Kayla looked up at him from her swivel chair, honestly pondering the question. She had never talked about it. She had always buried it and tried to forget, but it had never really gone away. Maybe talking, with someone she truly trusted, maybe that would help. But could she really change the habits of a lifetime? "I'll start, if you want."

Kayla nodded, half-knowing what Johnny was likely to tell her. He gave her a sad smile, then he started talking, giving voice to feelings he had always hidden. "I guess you know my family's a little screwed up, right? We never used to be though. I barely remember it, but when my mom was alive, I can remember honestly being happy. I can remember her smile, and the way she could make you forget why you were upset with just a hug. She was always telling me to be careful, but never said 'I told you so' when I did something stupid. When she died, I went numb for a while. For three years in fact. I was practically a mute, cause I was afraid that if I talked I would suddenly feel the pain again. I didn't want to feel. I didn't want to remember. And I definitely didn't want to talk. I never did talk about it. It's been nearly 25 years now, and this is the first time I've ever talked about my mom."

When he finished, he had tears in his eyes, as well as pain and loss. Kayla could empathise with that. She knew all about pain and loss. She knew about hiding it as well. For a moment, the melancholy hung in the air between them, as if paying respect to the old memories. That's when Kayla decided that if Johnny was going to be brave, she would be too.

"I told you, about Martin, right? My step-dad?" she began and Johnny nodded, not wanting to interrupt. "One of the things he did _really _well was mess with your head. I think that was worse than the beatings and the abuse, the way he always made it feel like it was your fault, like you deserved it. He did a number on my mom. Drove her to the point where she never fought back, never protected us. Drove her to Stoneybrook. He made her believe that she needed psychiatric help so desperately, that ultimately, she really did. She's been there ever since..."

Kayla trailed off, her eyes drawn again to the letter. She had never blamed her mom. Although in the letter she never asked for forgiveness, she had had it from Kayla a long time ago. What hurt her the most about the letter, was how it had sounded like a goodbye.

She felt the tears brewing before she could even hope to stop them, and instantly Johnny was there. He wrapped his arms around her, comforting her with his presence and not those stupid meaningless words _'it's gonna be okay'._

* * *

><p>"It's going to be okay."<p>

Sue looked at her husband disbelievingly. She always hated it when he started a conversation like that. It was generally followed by '_it was only a small explosion' _or _'I can fix it right away'_. This time, thought, she got the feeling it was slightly more serious than that. His face didn't have the usual 'oops' expression, instead it was more like his 'we have a situation' face.

"There was an earthquake in San Francisco; the initial damage wasn't the worst they've seen, but the aftershocks are causing havoc for the emergency response teams. We've been asked for assistance, to which I said we'd be there immediately," Reed explained. "Will you be okay here?"

Sue knew why Reed had said that it was going to be okay. He hadn't added the extra part, but she understood; it was going to be okay _without her help_. Her ability had proven useful in previous disasters; she could make rubble invisible so that survivors could be found and create force fields when aftershocks came and showered debris on the aid teams. But now that she had Leona, she was never going to help people again. She was just going to be left behind to watch and wait for her family's return. She processed this in an instant, not allowing a hint of it to show on her face. "I'll be fine. Have you called Johnny and Ben?"

"Ben's prepping the fantasticar, and I called Johnny but he didn't answer," said Reed as he began walking in the direction of the hangar, Sue trotting a few paces behind. She was instantly worried by her brother's silence, but knew Reed had bigger things to worry about at the moment. At the hangar door he paused "He's going to have to catch up, we can't wait..."

"I'll let him know, and tell him off for not answering his phone," Sue finished, trying to hide her worry behind her nonchalant comment. She watched the fantasticar fly off in the direction of the disaster, briefly wondering if her decision to quit had been her wisest.

* * *

><p>Their embrace was interrupted by the tinny ring of Kayla's cell. She pulled away with a small smile of thanks that Johnny returned, and then reached for her phone, answering it on the fifth ring. "Hello?"<p>

"_Is this Dr. Kayla Maiden?_" the female voice on the line asked. Kayla nodded, then realised she couldn't be seen. "_This is Sarah, Dr. Dekker's secretary here at Stoneybrook, I'm afraid I have bad news. Would you mind coming down and seeing us?_"

Kayla sat shocked a moment as she put the pieces together. The letter; the goodbye. The fact that the secretary never mentioned her mother. "Is she...Is she...?"

A sigh. "_I'm afraid so Miss Maiden. In the early hours of this morning she was found by an orderly. The police have investigated and confirmed it as a suicide, but we would like you to come down and claim the body, if that's alright._"

Kayla was shaking, even more tears moments away from falling. Johnny watched her; unable to hear the other side of the conversation, but knowing it was bad. "A-alright, I'll be there s-soon. Th-thank you. Bye." She disconnected the phone. "I-I have to g-go."

Before Johnny could ask what was going on, Kayla ran from the room in the direction of the lift. He stood for a precious few seconds debating what to do. Part of him knew that he wanted to be there for Kayla whatever it was, but at the same time, he wondered if this was something she needed to do alone. The former argument won, and he darted out into the hallway. By the time he had gotten to the lift however, the numbers were already going down. Instead he darted for the stairs, running down them at a dangerous speed.

By the time he reached the bottom, Kayla's car was already pulling out of its space and lining up for the exit. Panting, he came to a stop behind, grateful to see the cars' brake lights. But then he realised there were two people in the car, and the one in the driver's seat wasn't Kayla. From his position he could see in the car's rear-view mirror. Two magnified eyes glared back.

"Kayla!" He made to dart round the side, but he was nowhere near fast enough. The car suddenly lurched backwards with amazing speed, the rear bumper slamming into his shins and the trunk folding him in half at the waist. The force threw him airborne for a moment, and when he came crashing back down, the side of his head collided with the rear windscreen. In an instant the world went black, the sound of screeching tyres echoing miles away.

As he lay there, oblivious to the world, the communicator in his jeans pocket began beeping incessantly.

* * *

><p><strong>And the action begins! <strong>

**I realised half-way through writing this that I had to go back and replace every 'mum' with 'mom' – I'm so British :P**

**Please Review!**


	5. Awakenings

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...

**Disclaimer: **

I own nothing, except a magic wishing stone...I wish I owned the Fantastic Four! ... Did it work?

**Author's Notes:**

This is truly unbelievable! Not just one, or two, but THREE updates in one day? Surely this momentum cannot last? – I do have work tomorrow, so yeah, probably not, but hey, I can celebrate this moment, yes?

Anyway, Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five -:- Awakenings<strong>

**CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division**

As Kayla came to she was vaguely aware of a distant beep. The rhythm sounded comfortingly familiar, as if it were the voice of an old friend. It took her a while to realise that the sound was that of a machine monitoring her heart, reminding her with each beep that she was indeed alive. Reassured by that fact she decided it was time to open her eyes...very carefully.

Strangely, when she opened her eyes she wasn't offended by the bright onslaught fiction novels had so often warned her of, but rather a very dark room. She quickly adjusted to gloom, just making out the shadows of machines and equipment. At first she assumed she was in some hospital; that was until she started seeing objects that were far more at home in a mad scientist's lab than in a medical facility.

Immediately she began to panic. She tried to get up but realised she was being pinned by leather restraints attached round her wrists and ankles, another belt across her stomach. Wires ran from various parts of her body back to an assortment of machines, apparently reading and recording her every action. The red light of a camera blinked at her from a dark corner. She was a test subject under observation, she realised.

Her panic doubled; her breath coming out in pants as she tugged uselessly at the straps. She desperately tried to remember how she had got there, but at that point she was struggling to remember her own name, sheer terror shutting down any useful portion of her brain. That was when she started screaming.

"Will you stop that...please?"

Kayla paused for breath, only just noticing the presence of another person. Surely they hadn't been there before? The voice had come from the direction of the door, the actual person more of a silhouette cast by the light of the corridor. "Who are you? Where am I? Let me go!"

"Shall I answer those chronologically or alphabetically?" the shadow asked as an answer, leading Kayla to believe that she had gone quite insane and this was mental hospital treating her for weird delusions. That was definitely more believable than any other alternative she could come up with. When she didn't answer, the shadow gave an odd chuckle. "Chronologically it is then. Firstly, I am Dr. Julius Farrell. Secondly, you are at CryoIndustries lab. And lastly, I'm afraid I can't."

"Why?" asked Kayla, her voice returning to her normal pitch, soothed by the genuine regret that Farrell had used for the last answer.

"Why are you here?" he clarified, though he didn't wait for a reply. "Because apparently you're special, and my...boss, Claus, has taken quite a liking to you. And as to why I can't let you go, well, she'd probably kill me."

At the mention of the name Claus, fragments of memories began to return to her. Instantly an image of the bug-eyed, tiny woman holding a gun popped into her mind. She had been forced in to the passenger seat of her car as Claus had slipped behind the wheel. Then Johnny had shown up...what happened next..? Was Johnny here too? Or had she...disposed...of him?

She hadn't noticed that Farrell was still talking "...your physiology is quite something though, not that Claus realises that. She's never been much of a biologist, far more into chemistry and physics rather than the 'easy' science, as she calls it. I can't wait to see her investigate genetics, she flail like a fish out of water..."

"Farrell!"

Instantly his demeanour changed. He went from having a casual, rather one-sided, conversation, to standing uncertainly like a nervous wreck. Even the tone of his voice changed, a stutter edging its way in. "Y-yes Claus?"

Another shape joined his at the door frame, her head barely above his elbow as she stood on tip-toes to look past him. He shied away from her closeness, but said nothing. "The subject, it is awake, yes?" A nod. "Excellent. Although studying it in sleeping state is valuable I would quite like a live demonstration. If all else fails I can always learn from dissection. But that's a last resort of course." Claus spoke as if discussing the options with herself, not directly addressing either of them.

There was a click and suddenly the room was flooded with light. For the first time Kayla could make out her captors and her surroundings clearly. She really didn't like what she saw, and slammed her eyes closed as if they couldn't see her if she couldn't see them. Futile and juvenile, but she did it anyway.

"Miss Maiden?" Kayla recognised the voice. She remembered the phone call, but more specifically that completely unsympathetic and emotionless drone of the secretary from Stoneybrook. It had all been a ruse. She should have known when the woman had dropped the title, replacing it with a condescending 'Miss'. For the moment, at least, fear was replaced with anger. "Would you mind terribly if I ran some tests on you? Nothing too invasive, just some blood, a few CAT scans, an MRI, and maybe some spinal fluid? Not that I need your consent of course..."

"Go to Hell." Kayla surprised herself at how confident she had sounded. The anger was making her bold. She may be trapped, a complete damsel waiting for her rescue, but that didn't mean she was just going to just roll over. She was going to take a leaf out of Johnny's book and be the most annoying captive ever. She added "Bitch" for good measure, making Claus' eyes goggle behind her specs.

"Well I won't be having any of that language!" Claus scolded like a strict nanny, the tone oddly suiting her. She pulled out a device from the pocket of her lab coat. It looked like a strange remote with a cattle prod at the top end. Kayla deduced that it had to be a taser of some sort. "From now on, every time you answer me back, I'm going to give you a good shock with this. Understand?"

"I think it's time to up the medication, you freaking lunatic."

Kayla was rewarded with a hearty jolt that sent pain writhing from her toes to the base of her skull where it burst into brightly coloured lights. Obviously the shock had screwed up her head because the only complete thought she had was _Totally worth it._

* * *

><p><strong>The Baxter Building<strong>

"_Johnny? Johnny!"_

The voice sounded miles and miles away, as if he and the owner of the voice were on either sides of a valley yelling across at each other. He was just picturing the valley, like a photo of some British countryside, when he heard the voice again. This time it was closer, distinctly female. The woman yelling sounded upset, panicked, scared. _Kayla._

Consciousness returned to him quickly enough, along with the pain. He become aware bruises across his abdomen and his shins, the faint sensation of blood trickling from a gash on his leg, the thumping headache from a collision with a windscreen. He was lying on the concrete floor of the building's garage, blinking in the blinding glare of a strobe light overhead.

"Johnny! Can you hear me?"

With effort he managed to focus on the woman yelling, identifying her as Sue. There was also the grinding wail of a baby nearby, adding to the pain of his developing migraine. Why were Sue and Leona in the garage? He licked his lips, testing his voice "I c-can hear you."

"Oh thank God! What the hell happened? Why are you down here? Who did this?" The questions bludgeoned his weary mind. He decided to distract sue while he came up with the answers. He pointed in the general direction of his screaming niece "Loud." Sue glanced over her shoulder, realised what he was getting at, and disappeared from view with a quiet "Oh."

As she shushed Leona into a slightly quieter cry, he tried to piece together what had happened. He knew Kayla was in trouble, but it took him a minute to remember Claus and the car.

"Johnny, where are you going?"

Another question that jolted him into realising that he had already climbed to his feet and was walking towards the rectangle of evening light the exit offered. He paused, conceding that Sue deserved some kind of explanation. "Kayla was kidnapped by that weird Claus woman that was here this morning. She stole her car then ran me over and...what's the time?"

Sue was still trying to process Johnny's story, in particular the part where he was run over, but answered the question automatically regardless. "A little after six."

"I've been out for nearly four hours, she could've been taken anywhere by now!" He grunted in frustration, a sense of hopelessness depleting his worry-induced adrenaline boost.

"You said Claus, right? Then the most likely place they'll be is CryoIndustries over in Fairview..." Johnny immediately began marching towards the exit again, determination restored. "But wait! Johnny wait! There was an earthquake in Frisco, Ben and Reed are on the other side of the country...you'll be on your own..."

Johnny almost made the retort that he always felt alone anyway, but bit it back. This was definitely not the time for him to reveal his dangerous mental state, if there was ever going to be a time. What mattered was Kayla, and he wasn't about to wait around for back-up when he wasn't even sure if she was still alive. He glanced back at his sister cradling his niece in her arms "Don't wait up."

And with that he was gone in a burst of flames, shooting out of the garage door and into the darkening evening of the city. Sue watched him go, unable to protect her brother while she had her defenceless daughter to look after. Her choice had been made.

* * *

><p>Alicia Masters stared with blind eyes at the TV set in the room she shared with Ben. This was what she did whenever they flew off to save the day, whether it was a simple rescue or battle to protect the world from alien invasion. Regardless, she listened to the incessant narration of the newscaster, trying to picture what was happening.<p>

Every time she did it she would sit shock still, every muscle in her body tensed, waiting for the inevitable moment when she would be told her husband wasn't coming home. It was getting to her, all the worrying and the panicking, she could feel it wearing out, fraying her nerves. Her last trip to the doctor had warned her that her blood pressure was dangerously high and that she should avoid stress. But when your husband, and the people you have come to call family, are all superheroes, was there really a chance of that happening?

She knew it would be a relief the day that Ben retired. He would be just as safe as every other person, no longer risking everything to protect the people who in all honestly feared him. They could disappear somewhere quiet and for once, look after themselves. She often dreamed of that far away place, wishing she could truly have her dream man without sharing him with the rest of the world.

The News bulletin about the San Francisco earthquake ended without any incident happening to either Ben or Reed and she allowed herself a moment of relief. Everything seemed to be pretty routine, and the citizens of Frisco were grateful for their assistance. Several survivors had been found alive, dug out of the rubble by Ben's strength.

_This time,_ she decided, _everyone's going to come home safe._

* * *

><p><strong>Famous last words Miss Masters :P I believe I have other plans! Mwahahaha...ahem<strong>

**See you next Chap!**


	6. Flying Solo

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...

**Disclaimer: **

I have recently learned that I really don't own the Fantastic Four. It came as quite a shock.

**Author's Apology:**

Hi… been a while, huh? Over a year? I'm really sorry that I abandoned this fic for so long… I don't even know if anyone wants to read it anymore… but as part of the mission that I have set myself, I am going to continue and finish this fic!

Thanks as always go to everyone who has reviewed – forgetmenotjimmy, memvdd, and sparkiebunny, you are all awesome, and doubly so if you have come back and actually read this thank you; and to AceCartoonFreak, I am updating for the love of everything shiny :P

But let's get to the bit we've been waiting for, shall we?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six -:- Flying Solo<strong>

**CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division**

As the target building came into view, Johnny had but one thought on his mind. Maybe it was this single-minded determination that had led to his once brash and irresponsible nature; the daredevil that dived headfirst where angels feared to tread. He developed a tunnel vision that could rival Reed's when a new gadget concept gripped him, focused on the singular task of saving Kayla.

He ignored such questions as 'How?' and 'Why?'

Johnny had never been the most logical of people, and even after all the changes that years of being a superhero had brought upon him, he still followed the tendency to act first, think later. Hence why the concept of a stealthy approach never really occurred to him. He simply saw the prison where Kayla was being held, and he made himself a door.

A stream of fire shot from each index finger like a laser as Johnny drew himself a man-sized rectangle into the side of the building, several stories above the ground. And then with a quick blast of heat the metal wall was shoved into the building, destroying the furniture and lab equipment that happened to be in its way. He flew through and flamed off, landing lightly on the tile floor that had been scarred black by his fiery form.

A fire alarm had gone off, its piercing shrill joining a strange wail that sounded like an air raid siren. He could hear shouting over the top as the building's security responded to his presence. But they weren't really his concern.

He closed his eyes and felt for the familiar cold that could only be Kayla Maiden. She was nearby, a few floors down and several offices over, and Johnny headed deeper into the rabbit warren. The corridors twisted every which way, and after maybe a minute of following them, Johnny lost his limited patience. He began blasting through walls, leaving a trail of destruction behind him that a blind man could follow.

He was maybe one or two plasterboard walls away from his destination when the security team caught up with him. They were clad entirely in black and wore TAC vests adorned with both run of the mill weapons as well as some distinctly Reed-esque devices. Their main weapon was an odd-looking rifle that Johnny found himself at the business end of.

"Freeze!" one of them demanded.

Johnny paused in his one-minded assault on the building and turned slightly to face the above-average security guards. He raised his hands, though it was more to placate their trigger fingers than to actually surrender. "Relax, I'm part of the Fantastic Four. I'm not a threat."

Surprisingly, the fact that the Human Torch stood before them didn't quell the tension in the air. It didn't make them lower their weapons either. If anything, they looked even more determined to neutralise the threat. Johnny's brow furrowed in confusion. Weren't these people meant to be guarding Doom? Didn't they know that Johnny was the least likely advocate for the metal man's freedom?

"Sir, we received intel that an attack on the labs was imminent," the leader of the security team explained shortly. "Our orders are to detain you. Please do not resist or we will use deadly force."

"What? Seriously?" Johnny asked incredulously, a glimmer of his younger self shining through. He then sighed impatiently as the men all stepped towards him as one. "I don't have time for this."

He flamed on; the sudden brightness and heat surprising his would-be captors who staggered back to protect themselves. He then blasted through the wall he had been part-way through demolishing, forgetting all about them as he continued his mission.

He didn't get very far though as the security recovered quickly and pursued him. They yelled one more warning, which went completely unheeded, and then open fired.

A small dart hit Johnny in the back of the neck, and immediately his flames died. He reached for it, yanked out the long needle point, and then studied the glass vial. He recognised the last drops of the red liquid that now ran through his veins, the sickeningly familiar feeling of Doom's power suppressor confirming his fears. He suddenly felt weak, and cold, and downright helpless as the world shifted sideways. He dropped onto the floor like a lead weight, barely conscious.

Flat-soled shoes slapped on the tiles, pausing right in Johnny's line of sight. He turned his head slightly to look up at the bespectacled woman whose beady eyes examined him critically.

"I've been waiting for you, Johnny Storm."

* * *

><p><strong>The Baxter Building<strong>

Susan Richards gazed out at the skyline of New York that was backlit by the golden orange of a slowly setting sun. The neon glow of street lights and headlamps gradually chased away the coming darkness as the city-goers refused to cease activity even as the day drew to a close. Everything was so alive down there; so busy and stressful, but as Sue watched distantly from her high perch, she felt nothing but dread.

She wasn't psychic, that was not one of the so-called gifts that the cosmic storm had granted her, but even before that fateful day in space she had always had a kind of sixth sense. On an instinctual level, in the very pit of her stomach, she would always know when something terrible was about to happen. And right now, her stomach was twisted in knots as she felt something truly awful looming on the horizon.

What made the feeling worse was the complete and utter helplessness that came with it. She was not powerless or weak; she was still the Invisible Woman, but she was trapped by her own fear. Even now when she knew her infant daughter was safe and only a room away from her, she was in a constant state of worry. She had come so close to losing Leona at the hands of her megalomaniac ex-fiancé that the very thought of leaving her baby in the care of anyone else frightened her to her very core.

That's why she had made the decision to turn her back on her duty as a quarter of the Fantastic Four. That's why now, while knowing of the darkness that was coming, she was confined within the walls of the Baxter Building, useless.

Somewhere out there, not so very far away, her brother was fighting alone. She should be there with him, helping him, keeping him safe, but she couldn't. Half of their quartet was tied up in the relief effort following a catastrophic earthquake in San Francisco and unable to help either. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly as she closed her eyes and whispered "Did I make the right decision?"

"There's no such thing," the darkening room replied, and Sue whirled around at the voice. Standing in the doorframe of the lounge was Alicia Grimm, the blushing bride of The Thing. She entered cautiously, knowing the room well enough to not require her stick, but aware of unseen trip hazards as she came to stand beside Sue. "There is only the choice you make and the consequences you face because of it."

Silence followed the blind woman's statement as Sue looked sadly at the floor. "I'm so afraid," she muttered after almost a full minute of being lost in thought. "I'm so scared that the only person that I'm protecting is myself, and while I stay hidden from the dangers, I'm going to lose someone I love."

"You're trying to protect your daughter," Alicia reassured, reaching out a hand. Sue took it and gave it a squeeze, thanking her friend and confidant for her comforting presence, though in her mind she couldn't help but ask herself _at what cost?_ "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if… if I didn't have to worry all of the time…"

Sue studied the young woman in the half-light, noticing for the first time the furrows carved into her face from years of anxiety and the first shades of grey that tinged her dark hair. "You're afraid for Ben."

"Constantly," Alicia admitted. "Every time he leaves for one of his missions, even the simple ones, I wonder if he'll be coming back. I'm petrified that I will be listening to the news coverage one day and be told by a complete stranger that my husband is dead."

"Oh sweetie," Sue murmured as she pulled Alicia into a warm hug. She considered telling her white lies, promising that her fears could never come true, but they both knew that the reality was that the realisation of her nightmares was a very real possibility in the lives that they led. Instead, she offered a solution. "Maybe it's time that we realised that being heroes is causing us more harm than good. Someday soon… maybe we won't have to worry anymore…

"Maybe the Fantastic Four could disband."

* * *

><p><strong>CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division<strong>

Consciousness came back to Johnny Storm slowly and painfully, the ghostly familiar sensation of being completely drained and cold telling him before he was even completely coherent that his powers were gone. His eyes still closed, he could picture himself back on the flagstone floor of the castle of Latveria, just waiting to be turned into prey. But the situation was different this time, so he dragged himself out of past horrors and focused on the present.

He was vertical and restrained to something unforgiving and metal, a variety of sensors attached to his body and an IV of the power dampener streaming directly into his arm. He tested his restraints, but as expected, there wasn't a chance of him breaking out of them. Blinking in the low light he could make out the outlines of several machines and trolleys of sharp objects, and knew without a doubt that he had recently become a mad scientist's play thing.

So, to summarise; he was powerless, trapped and at the mercy of a psychopath with no hope of rescue from his otherwise occupied family. Oh, and he had failed to save his potential, kind-of girlfriend.

He sighed heavily and let his head drop to his chest.

"Well that was quick."

Johnny looked up at the voice, a relieved smile tugging at his lips. As his eyes adjusted to the light he began to make out the other occupant, strapped down to a gurney on the other side of the room. "Kayla…" he muttered quietly, then furrowed his brow at her comment. "What…?"

"I mean, firstly, you're late," she mock-complained, trying to gesture with her hands that she could barely wiggle in her shackles. "Then you go and get yourself caught, and now, just to top it all off, you've gone and given up within what, thirty seconds of being conscious? My hero."

Johnny glanced away, feeling a little guilty but mainly just tired and broken. "I guess I'm not much of a hero then."

"Johnny…" Kayla's voice changed to concern, her gurney creaking as she tried to make eye contact with him. "I was just kidding, you know that right? I'm really grateful you tried to save me, and I'm glad you're here. Well, I'm not glad that you're _here _here_,_ as in also captured, cause that's obviously not good, but… I'm rambling."

"Just a little."

"Sorry, I do that when I'm kidnapped by bird-faced scientists and imprisoned in a lab." Johnny heard her let out a deep breath as she forced herself to stop. Then she continued quietly "What I'm trying to say is that I'm glad I'm not alone, and that it's _you_ that's with me. Things seem a little better now."

Silence settled between them after that, the low repetitive beeps of several machines the only sound in the darkness. The stillness let Johnny get lost in his own looping thoughts, his fears and frustrations that had been plaguing him for so long going out of their way to drown him.

He had been a hero, a member of the Fantastic Four for just over five years, and in that time he had come within a hairsbreadth of death at least three times, seen those he loved in danger, and watched his sister die while he was completely unable to touch her, let alone help. It was a wonder that he was as sane as he was really, considering the sheer volume of trauma he had gone through. Before, the fact that they were doing good, that they were saving people, had made it worthwhile. But now, after all these years, that concession wasn't balancing out the negatives anymore.

So as he waited for his captor to come and tell them all about the wonderful torture she had in store for him and Kayla, one question stuck out in his mind

Had he finally reached his breaking point?

* * *

><p><strong>Emergency Response HQ, San Francisco<strong>

Ben watched Reed type away furiously on his PDA, an idea for some disaster-assistance vehicle-ma-jig striking him as they had been searching the rubble for survivors. Night had fallen earlier than usual due to the lack of electric lights so most of the search had slowed, although torches and floodlights could be seen in the distance as some dedicated people continued regardless. The two superheroes had been relieved of duty for now, but had been asked to continue to help at first light in the morning. Reed had delegated the task of telling Sue this to Ben as his own mind was entirely focused on his new project.

Leaving the ramshackle HQ tent behind, Ben made the short walk to the fantasticar that was parked nearby. He climbed into his section and booted up the communications system, a small screen fizzling for a moment as the connection was made. Sue answered quickly, and suddenly her face filled the tiny screen. "Hey Suzie."

"_Hey Ben, how's it going over there?_"

"Pretty routine, takin' a break fer the night, but we're gonna be helping again in the morning. Egghead wanted me to let you know," Ben explained, catching the worried look that skittered across Sue's face. "Said we might not be needed after t'morrow though, so we should be home in the evening. What's holding up Matchstick?"

The worried look returned, this time staying fixed on her face. "What is it Suzie?"

"_Kayla was kidnapped earlier," _Sue began to explain, but was briefly interrupted by Ben's shocked reply. _"The Claus woman from CryoIndustries carjacked her, then ran Johnny over. I found him an hour ago. Now he's gone on a rescue mission by himself...Ben, I'm really scared. I've got a terrible feeling about this..."_

Sue's voice trailed away, and Ben could see the guilt in her eyes. She hated the feeling of helplessness she had cornered herself into when she had decided that she would be the stay-at-home mom, but everyone had agreed it was the right choice. Ben tried to put as much reassurance into his gruff tone as possible. "Don't worry Suzie, the kid's a lot tougher than we give him credit fer. They'll probably be home before we are, and if they're not, then we'll come along and bail them out as soon as we're done here. It's gonna be fine."

"_Yeah, I'm sure you're right," _Sue replied, her eyes telling Ben that she didn't believe a word he'd said. _"I should go put Leona to bed, I'll talk to you in the morning. Night, Ben."_

"Night, Suzie," Ben ended the transmission, and then leaned back into his seat with a sigh. He thought over their options, wondering if they could leave the disaster zone and help Johnny. But there were still a lot of people missing, probably trapped under rubble that no one but Ben could lift without help. They couldn't leave these people any more than Sue could leave Leona. The kid was on his own.

Worried, Ben sought comfort in the only person he knew that could make everything seem better. He turned the console back on, this time patching through to the direct link with Alicia's room. She answered on the third ring, her face appearing on his screen with a relieved smile. "Hey honey."

* * *

><p><strong>CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division<strong>

"Again."

The current from the electric shock sent spasms of pain through every nerve in Johnny's body. His back arched against the gurney as every muscle tensed and contracted, a groan escaping between clenched teeth. His vision whited out as his eyes rolled back in his head and he thankfully fell unconscious.

Dr Farrell shut off the electricity quickly and looked worriedly to the machines hooked up to the superhero. This was not what he had signed up for when he had come to work at CryoIndustries. He wasn't a torture specialist or a sadist. How the hell had he gotten so involved in this? From behind him there came an impatient _tch_ and he turned to see Claus looking at him expectantly. "H-he p-p-pass-sed out-t."

"Hmmm…" Claus murmured, crossing her thin arms across her chest. Beside her Kayla was trapped in a glass box, a series of sensors and computers monitoring her as Claus tried to pressure the young woman into demonstrating her ability. "It doesn't appear as if Mr Storm can take much more of this. In fact it wouldn't be difficult to accidently kill him. So why don't you co-operate, Dr Maiden, before that happens?"

"You're insane." Kayla yelled in exasperation as she hammered uselessly against the glass. Out of Claus' eye line, Farrell shrugged to himself as he agreed with her very astute observation. "Why the hell are you doing this?"

Claus shook her head impatiently. "You are the find of a lifetime. Do you have even the slightest idea of what you are capable of? You could single-handedly save this dying world, and yet you hide and limit your potential? _That_ is truly insane, Maiden. But I am going to fix that. And as the person responsible for discovering the solution to global warming, I am finally going to get the recognition I deserve."

"_That's_ what this is about?" Kayla asked incredulously. "You want _attention?_ What, you got daddy-issues? Bullied in high school? Discredited as a woman scientist? So are a lot of non-crazy, successful individuals! Get your head out of your own ass and realise that you're a psychopath that brought it on yourself!"

Claus flinched slightly and glared hatefully at her future Nobel Peace Prize. Farrell instinctively shrunk back from the anger that flowed from the woman in waves. Without looking back at her assistant she instructed, "Wake up Mr Storm and increase the voltage."

"No!" Kayla hissed, her rage dissipating to horror.

"You will co-operate with me, Miss Maiden. It's your choice whether it happens before or after the Human Torch is extinguished."

* * *

><p><strong>Phew, that took<strong>_** way**_** too long to write. Please let me know if you liked and if it's worth me continuing, and here's to less than a year for the next update :P **


	7. The Whistleblower

**Fantastic Four (Movieverse) – The Solution**

**Summary: **

Sequel to Lost Time. Dr. Claus of CryoIndustries is proving a nuisance for Reed, but he has no idea of her true intentions. She'll stop at nothing to locate and test the source of the ice-crystal, even if that source is a person...

**Disclaimer: **

Is there really a great deal of point to this? Clearly I don't own a damn thing – would I really be _here?_

**Author's Note(s):**

So, amazingly, I am back and writing the next chapter in this fic – super thanks to Sofia for reviewing the last chapter – I was beginning to wonder if there was anyone left :P

But anyway – for those who are still with me, Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven -:- The Whistleblower<strong>

**CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division**

Dr Julius Farrell began life with above an average intelligence and slow to develop people skills. He grew up with a distant relationship to a family that didn't understand him and survived four years of high school bullies; all the time knowing that the things that made him different would give him a better life later on down the line. He had never really considered himself a weak person – he'd endured so much – and yet he still found himself here.

Fearing for his life, following the instructions of a woman who had clearly strayed off the reservation. Torturing a superhero to get his equally heroic doctor girlfriend to do as said psycho demands. It was so hard to believe that just that morning he had been a well-respected scientist working in a lab. How had it all gone so horribly wrong?

"No! Stop! Stop! You're killing him! Please!"

Farrell was jolted from his thoughts by Kayla's begging, his finger immediately retracting from the trigger of the device that caused it. He looked sadly at the broken young woman before him; her black hair a bedraggled mess and her face red with tears. Her hands bled from where she had constantly pounded on the glass walls of her cage, the crimson liquid smearing the glass. Guilt, horror and shame built up in his chest as he tried to justify what he was doing.

_If I don't… I'm dead._

But was this really a whole lot better? He felt himself growing cold inside as he committed atrocities he never would have believed himself capable of, all in the name of self-preservation. He may not have been dying physically while he helped the mad Dr Claus, but emotionally and mentally, he was falling apart.

"Please… I'm trying! I'm trying to do as you ask… please… please stop hurting him…"

Farrell dragged his gaze off of the girl in the box, unable to watch her weakening pleas as she tried desperately to get through to Claus. Instead he turned to look behind him at the slightly twitching body of the Human Torch. It was amazing that the man was still alive after all that Farrell had done to him. It was clear that his luck wouldn't last much longer. That would make Farrell a murderer. Could he really do that? To save himself?

"This experiment isn't producing any results," Claus huffed in irritation, glaring at each of the room's occupants in turn as if assigning them proportions of the blame. Farrell shivered under her gaze, truly petrified of the cold threat that her beady eyes promised. "Maybe the ability has a different trigger. We should try some other pressure points…"

"May-b-be she's t-tired…" Farrell suggested hesitantly, flinching as Claus' eyes resettled on him. "I m-mean, ex-exhaustion is-sn't c-conducive t-to p-produc-cing res-sults… May-b-be th-they c-could t-take a b-break…?"

Claus' head cocked to one side, her expression unreadable. Farrell didn't know if she was considering his suggestion or plotting his imminent demise. Thankfully for the continuation of his existence, it was the former. "That is a valid idea. We will recommence in one hour."

And with that, the thin woman collected up her notes and marched out of the door, her lab coat whipping at her heels. Once the oppression of her presence left with her, Farrell let out a shaky sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Thank you."

Farrell whipped around at the quiet voice, his heart breaking at the genuine gratefulness he found in Kayla's expression. He closed his eyes guiltily. "You shouldn't thank me. I can't help you."

She looked away, crestfallen at his words. Slowly she dropped to her knees, leaning her head against the glass as her tears continued to fall. Farrell had to avert his eyes, her quiet acceptance was worse than her desperate cries, and he could barely withstand them. "I understand," she whispered, barely audible through her cage. "You're afraid of her. I am too. But that fear isn't going to go away until someone stops her…"

"I can't…" Farrell backed away from her. "I'm not like you guys, I'm not brave. I can't be strong like the Fantastic Four or whatever. I'm not a hero…"

"Neither were they," Kayla said quietly, trying to meet his eyes again to make sure she got through to him. "They were just ordinary people like us who got thrown into a situation where they could help. They stepped up to the plate and chose to save people when they could have just as easily stepped aside and hid."

Farrell studied Kayla in the low light of the lab, chewing slightly on his lip.

"Now you're in a situation where _you_ have the same choice. You have the power to help us… will you?"

Farrell shook his head and turned his back to her, wincing as he heard her disappointed whimper. He came to stand beside the computer near the imprisoned Johnny Storm, absently typing a few commands and filing data. His mind was elsewhere however as Kayla's words echoed around and around his head. Could he really stand by and do nothing when he was their only hope? How long would he have to be Claus' lackey before she was stopped? Could _he_ be the one to stop her?

Could he be a hero?

His eyes strayed from the computer screen to the IV drip of red fluid attached to Johnny's arm, an idea forming. Purposely putting himself between the prisoner and the camera that Claus could be watching, Farrell tugged the needle out, stopping the flow of the power suppressor. He then undid one of the restraints. "I can't help you," he repeated.

But maybe now they could help themselves.

* * *

><p><strong>Emergency Response HQ, San Francisco<strong>

"Hey, Ben, you still talking to Sue?" Reed called as he headed toward the fantasticar. The camp was still alive with activity even as the sky turned black above them, so when Reed received no response, he assumed that Ben hadn't heard him above the noise. He stepped round the back of the craft where the Thing's specially designed pod was situated "Hey, Ben?"

"Alicia…"

Reed stopped in his tracks outside of Ben's eye line at the tone of his best friend's voice. There was something off about it, and even though he could tell that the conversation was meant to be private, he hung about regardless.

"_I know that the Fantastic Four is important to you Ben," _Alicia's voice sounded over the communicator, and Reed could hear the hesitancy in her words. _"It's a part of who you are, and I love you exactly how you are… it's just that… I don't know if… I don't know if I can keep doing this… God… I shouldn't be doing this over the phone. When are you coming home?"_

"S-soon. T-t-morrow night," Ben answered automatically, his tone distracted as he tried to process what his wife was suggesting. "Are yer tryin' to say yer want to l-l-leave…?"

"_No! No, Ben, that wasn't…" _Reed heard her give a heavy sigh as she muttered to herself. _"I shouldn't have said anything." _

Reed leaned in closer even as his conscience yelled at him to leave the couple in peace. This conversation wasn't meant for his ears, and yet he couldn't walk away. There was something about the exhaustion and worry in Alicia's voice that reminded him of his own wife. In his mind's eye he could see Sue struggling to find the words to tell him what was troubling her. Maybe if he could understand Alicia and Ben, he could understand Sue.

"I don't understand…" Ben's gruff voice broke the short silence.

"_I love you Ben, more than anything… that's… that's why I worry so much," _Alicia murmured quietly. _"You're a hero who saves lives and that's great… but it's also dangerous. I'm so afraid, all of the time. I'm so scared that one day you won't come home. I can't lose you Ben..."_

The fantasticar shifted as Ben leaned forward in his seat and reached a pebbled hand towards the screen. "That ain't gonna happen, sweetie. I mean, come on, I'm a big orange rock – what's gonna be able ter take me down?"

"_I'm afraid that one day we're going to find that out, and it will be too late."_

"You want me ter leave the team like Suzie did," Ben stated simply, sagging back into his seat. Silence came over the communicator, but Reed could picture Alicia's sad face and unseeing eyes. "You know I can't do that. I'm a monster, Alicia, playing pretend as a hero. Where could we go and have a normal life when I look like this? I love you, and I love that you love me even though I'm…"

"_I understand, Ben," _Alicia interrupted before Ben could self-deprecate himself any further. _"But I still dream of a day where I can have you all to myself instead of sharing you with the world."_

Reed closed his eyes and leaned against the fantasticar with a quiet sigh. He knew that Ben's mutation had caused him the most problems out of the foursome; he didn't stand a hope in hell of getting the normal, quiet life that he deserved. Not while he was The Thing anyway. But maybe there was something Reed could do about that. Maybe he could finally fix the mistake he had made four years prior that had sent all of their lives spiralling out of their control.

More determined than ever, Reed pulled out his PDA and opened up the formula for Doom's power suppressor. This was their exit strategy.

This was their cure.

* * *

><p><strong>CryoIndustries Detainment Research Division<strong>

Julius Farrell found himself an empty office away from the two prisoners and his own jailer, Dr Claus. He paced fervently as nervous energy built within him, his thoughts a mess. He couldn't stand by anymore. He had done nothing for too long already. It was time to stand up and be a man.

He had already made the first move. He had witnessed the rapid healing factor of Johnny Storm and knew that he would soon be conscious and able to free himself and the doctor. But that still didn't stop Claus. It slowed her down, hindered her slightly, but it didn't stop her from trying again.

No. Someone had to end this once and for all.

And Farrell knew just how he was going to do it.

It quite possibly wasn't the sanest or most logical idea he had ever had, but by this point he was beyond caring. Action was needed, not thoughts or theories, so it was action that he would take.

Farrell halted in his tracks as the decision was made. A smile twisted his features as an anxious laugh bubbled in his throat, his hands twitching unconsciously. The plan formed in his mind he left the temporary sanctuary of his office and delved deeper into the building, making his way to the unofficial armoury the security team had amassed.

He was like a kid in a candy shop when he found himself in a large closet of weapons and firearms. They were organised and packaged neatly on shelves that lined three of the four walls, the stash purely so that the security team would be prepared for anything. Farrell easily found what he was looking for; throwing a backpack over his shoulder and collecting up a pistol. He had never fired a gun in his life, he didn't even know if he could, but he was about to find out.

He then made his way to the lab that he shared with Dr Claus, the hesitation in his steps growing as he neared, but never slowing his pace or breaking his resolve. When he reached the door he didn't allow himself to pause for fear he would be unable to get going again. He simply barrelled through and raised the gun.

"Farrell? What _are_ you doing?"

Claus asked incredulously as she glanced up from her research notes. She was perched on a stool by the table on the far side of the room, the glow from a flickering halogen light casting her in eerie shadows. "Is that a gun?"

"You've gone too far." Farrell stated, the earlier stutter inflicted by her presence completely gone. "You're going to release the Torch and Dr Maiden, and then you are going to turn yourself in."

Claus raised her eyebrows disbelievingly, not looking the least bit perturbed by her current situation. "And what is it that I have done so terribly wrong, hmm? Some research into a world saving phenomena? Now why would I need to feel so bad about that?"

"You've kidnapped and tortured two people!"

"People? Really? A man that bursts into flame and a woman who can create ice with her mind? Can they really be considered people? Are they even human?" Claus retorted coldly, climbing to her feet as her impatience grew. Farrell grabbed the butt of the gun with both hands to try and hide the fact that they were shaking violently. "Now, Farrell, why don't you put the gun down and forget this nonsense. We have work to do."

Farrell gave a short shake of his head, his grip on the gun turning his knuckles white. "No. I'm not going to let you keep doing this. I won't be a part of this anymore."

Claus sighed as if she were dealing with a petulant child. "Now, Farrell, really? Are you going to shoot me?"

"You are going to turn yourself in," Farrell instructed, reluctantly taking one hand off of the gun so that he could get to his backpack and unzip it. He showed the contents to Claus. "Or I will just have to stop you for good."

Explosives.

Claus looked from the bag to Farrell and back again, finally realising that she had lost control of the situation. "For an intelligent man, you sure come up with some stupid ideas. What _is_ the plan?" she asked as she raised her hands slightly in a non-threatening manner. She began to slowly close the distance between them with careful steps. "You try and appeal to my better nature, and when that doesn't work you blow the whole place up? That doesn't sound overly sensible now, does it?"

"If it's a choice between letting you continue or taking you out, I'd say I was making an incredibly smart choice," Farrell retorted, watching Claus warily. He took a few steps back as she closed in. "I suggest you stop moving."

"I suggest you stop breathing."

She moved faster than Farrell had ever expected; the last few metres of the gap between them closing in an instant. Two small, but surprisingly strong fists pounded into his chest and he pulled the trigger on reflex. The force of the recoil sent his arm flying back as he staggered under her onslaught. She dragged him to the ground as she tried to wrestle the gun from his grasp, the bag of explosives flying from his grip.

The brawl was untrained, primal and brutal; teeth and nails coming into play as they literally tried to tear each other apart. In the heat of the moment, Farrell didn't register any pain. He didn't really think, or strategize or engage a single one of his many brain cells. He just kicked and punched and struggled, every move he made just an instinctual reaction.

The gun went off several times as they fought, bullets ricocheting loudly in the clinical space. It was one of these rogue bullets that found its way into the bag of explosives that had landed not too far from where the two scientists tussled.

In an instant there came a bright light and a void of sound.

And Julius Farrell became a hero.

* * *

><p><strong>The Baxter Building<strong>

It had been over eight hours since Susan Richards had last seen her brother. Though it was early in the morning and the sun wasn't set to rise for several hours, she was wide awake and prowling the corridors of the Baxter Building. She hadn't even made an attempt to go to bed; there wasn't a chance that she would sleep, not while she could do nothing but worry for Johnny.

For the thousandth time she cursed herself for her weakness and her fear, the arms she wrapped around herself offering nothing but cold comfort. How could she have ever believed that she could have a normal life? Especially when the Fantastic Four, her family, continued into danger without her?

She came to the edge of her self-imposed prison, finding herself at the panorama window that looked out over New York. The city that never sleeps continued to bustle in blissful ignorance below as she turned to study the horizon. The horrible feeling that had settled in her stomach churned painfully, desperately trying to tell her something. Something terrible was about to happen.

Was happening.

A bright light flashed on the horizon, gone in an instant and replaced with flames. Smoke billowed into the sky as a fire raged uncontrollably in the distance. But Sue knew where the explosion had come from, she had been watching that speck on the skyline for the last few hours, as if her vigil would somehow ease her guilt. CryoIndustries.

_Johnny._

* * *

><p><strong>Woot! I finished another chapter, and it didn't take half as long! As always, please review and let me know what you think…<strong>


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